Documents submitted to the national park’s planning authority state developers are seeking for consent to transform a two-hectare area of arable farmland, pasture and forests south-east of Whitby, off Enterprise Way, by constructing ten premises for anything from industrial manufacturing to commercial ventures.

The planning application states the site is “exposed” and surrounded on three sides by agricultural land, and while it would be elevated above Whitby there were several established industrial and commercial premises beside the proposed site.

In the documents agents for the developers state: “This proposal will provide modern high quality business accommodation in Whitby which will create employment opportunities for an estimated 250 to 300 people. Commercial research has been carried out, which defines a requirement for various flexible business units rather than large box type developments.”

However, the agents added that unemployment in the proposal’s Fylingdales ward is lower than the district, regional and England average.

The application states: “The layout is designed to reflect the location within the national park and as such allows for extensive landscaping to the boundary and within the site. The height, scale, and layout of the proposed development has been carefully selected to limit the visual impact on the surrounding landscape of the National Park and sight lines to Whitby Abbey.”

While developers say up to 300 jobs could be created at the business park a total of 159 car parking spaces would need to be provided on site. Hawsker cum Stainsacre Parish Council has raised several concerns over the proposals, with its members describing the scheme as “an overdevelopment”, when taking into consideration the economic climate and the local area.

A parish council spokesman said the council had raised several concerns over the application. It believes the scheme represents “overdevelopment”, taking into consideration the current economic climate and the local area.

The parish’s response to the proposals states it understood the site had previously been earmarked for development and the authority’s members considered it “a greenfield site and do not find this development suitable”.

A parish spokesman said it also had “major concerns” over the traffic visiting the proposed site and how this could be managed, the car parking spaces, bike spaces and the number of units suggests a large influx of vehicles to the area. He added the parish council did the agree the current 30mph speed limit on approaching Enterprise Way, but would suggest a change to the speed restrictions including a 40mph zone prior to the 30mph zone.

It is understood, due to the scale of the development, the authority’s planning committee will consider the scheme later this year.

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